John Leeson, the voice of Doctor Who’s K9, dies aged 83
Leeson, best known for voicing the robotic dog K9 in Doctor Who, died peacefully on 1 November after a summer of illness, his son Guy Ducker announced. He first voiced K9 in 1977 and reprised the role in the original series, its revival and spin-offs.
Bottom line — Leeson voiced K9 across decades of Doctor Who, from The Invisible Enemy in 1977 to later spin-offs and audio dramas.
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Doctor Who News says Leeson voiced K9 in 55 episodes.
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The Guardian reports that K9 was initially intended for a single story before the production team made him a regular.
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In an interview quoted by Voice Over Herald, Leeson said producers wanted K9 to sound like a voice coming from a cheap radio.
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The Independent reports that former showrunner Russell T Davies praised Leeson’s performance when K9 returned in 2006.
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Leeson also played Bungle in Rainbow; the Guardian reports he described the costume as making him feel ill.